


A Matter of Trust

by cancerchild



Series: Modern Reincarnation AU [3]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Gloin the protective parent, Kid Fic, Modern reincarnation, Shenanigans, Trouble follows Kíli everywhere, kids being kids, meet on the playground au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 08:15:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5532242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cancerchild/pseuds/cancerchild
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Self-prompted:</p>
<p>- Legolas going around carting teeny tiny four years old Gimli everywhere on his back, just to keep him close and out of trouble.</p>
<p>Gloin is faced with the reality of his son's friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Matter of Trust

**Author's Note:**

> This probably isn't up to par with other things I've written. I just wanted to put something up for Christmas. It's not really a Christmas fic, though. 
> 
> For this au, I'm basing Gimli's speech patterns on my four year old nephew's.

Truthfully, it was a lovely day. He willingly admitted that. Sunny December afternoon, not too cold, nice breeze. Gloin’s mood was somewhere around his stomach, sitting on the bench at the park. Dís asked him, since he was taking Gimli, would he mind taking the boys along? They’re driving her crazy, running all over the place like wild things. They want to play in last night's snow before it melts. Of course he didn't mind in the least. He loved Fíli and Kili like his own boys, they were wonderful! And they got along splendidly with Gimli, despite being several years older than his little lad. But...well. He supposed there were worse people Gimli could have attached himself to. Fíli thought it was hysterical, the way his baby cousin had latched onto young Legolas and refused to be detached. Legolas, naturally, simply lifted Gimli up and started carting him around the playground. Gloin was flabbergasted. This...what. Well. 

After...well, everything. Gloin knew the boy had made amends with Gimli. They made a fine place for themselves, after all. But. Well, he’d have to deal with it, he supposed. While his baby led the lad a merry chase across the park and followed after him in turn, Gloin turned his attention to his cousin's boys. Fíli, walking across the top of the monkey bars. A trip to the emergency room waiting to happen, that one. And Kíli, three quarters to the top of a tree with little Tauriel at his heels, and the snow not deep enough to cushion any falls. Wonderful. He was going to end up taking three small children to the hospital, and not one of them his own. A responsible and attentive guardian, that's him. 

He heaved himself to his feet. At least Legolas wasn't letting Gimli get up to anything dangerous. “Not the best idea you’ve ever had, lad,” he told Fíli after plucking him from his perch. “You’re supposed to go along there with your hands, not your feet.” Gloin kept one eye on Legolas and little Gimli while he went to corral the seven year old daredevils. “Come now, you pair, come down here. Neither of you are squirrels or monkeys, to be climbing about up there.” Tauriel giggled and Kíli, rascal that he is, just grinned. 

“No way! We just got up here! A little higher and we'll be able to see the school,” Kíli exclaimed. 

“You absolutely do not need to see your school from the top of the tree, Kíli Bergman. No, get yourself down this moment.”

“Aw, you're no fun, Gloin. We’re fi-”

CRACK

Gloin’s heart stopped as the branch Kíli stood on cracked halfway through, jostling the boy just enough to lose his balance, arms windmilling for a moment. Tauriel, straddling the limb she sat on, lunged to the side as Kíli fell. She caught him around the chest and ended up upside down, hanging from her knees. “I think we should maybe get down now, meleth.”

Fíli’s hands covered his mouth, eyes huge. Gloin sighed. Perfect. “Hold on, you two, I'm coming.” There was no way he'd be able to actually get up to where they hung so precariously. The branches wouldn't hold his weight. Still, though. He got right beneath them, as close as he possibly could. “All right, Tauriel, let go of Kíli. I've got him.”

Tauriel, muffled in Kíli’s chest, said, “you're sure? Won't drop him?”

“No, mizimith, I won't drop our lad.” Tauriel clutched tighter for a moment while Kíli murmured to her, then let go of her friend. Kíli shrieked involuntarily as he fell and grunted when Gloin’s arms closed around him. “There's a lad. You're all right. Tauriel, are you well? Get yourself upright if you can and come down, aye?” The tiny redhead nodded, carefully pulling herself back onto her branch. Gloin let Kíli slide out of his arms and into Fíli’s, braced to snatch the little girl out of the air, if necessary. Once she was within his reach, Gloin picked her out of the tree and held her close. “Well done, mizimith,” he murmured into her hair while she clutched at him. “It’s all right now, you're both safe.” He shifted Tauriel to his hip and looked from her to Kíli. “Maybe no more trees at the park, aye? Aye. Go play, then.” He set her on her feet and the three ran off to get into whatever trouble they could find, throwing snow at each other and stuffing it down coats.

Gloin watched them, bemused. At least his Gimli was behaving today. Of course, he considered, Legolas was running himself ragged chasing the toddler around. Keeping him out of trouble. Brushing him off when he fell. Lifting him up so Gimli could attempt to cross the monkey bars. No, whatever dispute he had with Legolas, it didn't need to intrude on the boy’s relationship with Gimli. 

“Leg’las! Wanna go onna slide! C’mon!” Gimli tugged the older boy toward the jungle gym. Legolas laughed and gamely followed after him, carefully keeping himself between Gimli and the drop off the ladders.

**Author's Note:**

> I dunno, I just think the phrasing is awkward in this. Let me know, k?
> 
> Prompts and requests are welcome!


End file.
